Health department says almost 1,800 letters of interest received for Rural Health Transformation Program; details on review, dashboard and appeals given

At the same April 9 hearing on SB 281, Emily Ricci, deputy commissioner of the Department of Health, briefed the Senate Health and Social Services Committee on the state's progress implementing the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Ricci described the advisory structure, the LOI (letter of interest) timeline, and how the department plans to evaluate and publish award information.

"We received almost 1,800 letters of interest," Ricci told the committee, and said the department is currently evaluating those submissions. She said the department anticipates announcing which LOIs will receive readiness or planning support in "the next 3 to 4 weeks." Ricci said the department expects to open the next LOI round potentially in August but is still finalizing exact dates.

Ricci explained an advisory council structure that includes a seven-member steering committee (with representatives such as the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, the Alaska Municipal League, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the Alaska Primary Care Association, a State Senate representative — Senator Giesel — and a House representative — Representative Mena) and a broader stakeholder committee of up to 18 seats. The steering committee functions as a nonbinding recommendation body to the commissioner; Ricci said she serves as a nonvoting chair of that committee.

On transparency, Ricci said the department will post awarded projects and award amounts and intends to develop a public dashboard showing how grants align geographically and by initiative. "We want to build out a dashboard that allows people to look at that over multiple years," she said, while noting the dashboard's final features and timeline will depend on contracting decisions.

Ricci described a two-stage evaluation process: LOIs collect high-level information to assess readiness for federal funds, followed by a more detailed application and review for projects that advance to implementation. She said the department layers a portfolio review over numerical scoring to ensure geographic diversity, representation across initiative types and organization sizes, and to avoid funding concentration in a single region.

Senator Tobin asked whether the department evaluates proposers' organizational capacity during LOI screening and about appeals for unsuccessful applicants. Ricci said more detailed organizational assessment happens in the next application stage and that grant-appeals procedures are outlined in department regulations; the department intends to provide as much feedback as possible to unsuccessful applicants to support future rounds.

Ricci also described engagement activities including an "Impact Series" of monthly calls and regional planning meetings to surface local service gaps and priorities. Commissioner Heidi Hedberg added that program and accounting positions for RHTP management have been created and are being filled and trained.

The committee left public testimony on SB 281 open; the committee will convene again April 14 to continue related business.